Living The Lie
by fadedtwilight
Summary: After five years of living alone Duo suddenly finds himself housing a woman on the run from an underground organization. When she begins to remind him of a certain girl from his past Duo gets drawn into an intricate plot designed to take his life. Ch6 up
1. When in L2

**Living The Lie**

Author's Notes: The rating of this story, is for me, a tad controversial ^^; the first few chapters should be relatively fine for a PG-13 rating.  However, the chapters following chapter four might be a little darker ^^;; and chapter seven (or so) will be a lemon.  However, I won't be posting that here (obviously), but I'll include the link for those people who are interested.  I will clearly rate the chapters that are R rated and give fair warning beforehand.  So, this is a fair warning to those who might be offended by such content ^_^ 

this is my first attempt at GW fanfiction so constructive criticisim is more than welcome ^__^  the "young woman" in the story is **not** an original character…however, if I were to tell you who it is, it would ruin things ^^;  the story takes place about seven years after endless waltz and is not an AU.

Thoughts are in _italics_.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  Get used to it; I did ^_-

Chapter One: When In L2…

The different coloured, flashing lights.  The loud, pulsing music.  The throngs of people moving hypnotically in time with the rhythm.  The aroma of heady perfume mixed with sweat.  What was it about these places that attracted her so much?  The same thought crossed her mind each time she stepped into a club.  She knew it would be the same no matter what colony she was at.  _So why bother?_  She shook out her short black hair and scanned the crowd from the bar through narrowed eyes.  Because it was a place where she could be anonymous and leave her life at the door.  Always the same question; always the same answer.  

"Bartender, another screwdriver please."

The man grunted in acknowledgement and prepared her drink.  She took the glass with a nod and turned her back to the counter.  She sipped the drink slowly, prolonging the inevitable.  How many had she drunk?  She'd forgotten but it couldn't have been that many, she still felt too weary. 

"Hey there, sexy.  Whatcha doin?"  

She looked over at the guy and rolled her eyes.  _Jerk_.  They were all alike: alcohol breath, groping fingers, toothy grin.  She turned back to the bar and put her glass on the counter.  "Not interested."  Big boy didn't like that, but she honestly didn't care.  He tried talking to her but she only ignored him and fixed her gaze on some distant corner of the room.  After a few minutes he gave up and moved down the bar, glaring at her occasionally.  

The girl picked up her drink and drained it, looking out over the writhing bodies once more.  It was what she liked to do.  Just watch the people dance.  It wasn't that she didn't enjoy dancing; she just didn't like the unwanted attention it had gotten her on several occasions.  

As she sifted through the crowd, she found her eyes lingering on a particular guy.  A particularly good-looking guy.  He was wearing the kind of blue jeans he probably had to peel off before he went to sleep.  Even from where she was sitting, she could tell he was well muscled beneath his white T-shirt and black jacket.  Though there was something else about him, about the way he moved that got her attention.  He danced with his eyes closed, just concentrating on the wordless music.  So sensual and intoxicating.  

She sat hypnotized by his motions, unable to look away and not really wanting to.  But his eyes opened quickly and he looked directly at her, making her wonder if he had known that he was being watched.  The blue-eyed woman expected him to snicker at her or maybe ignore her for being so rude as to stare, but he smiled at her and walked towards the bar.  When he sat down beside her, she turned back to the counter and tried to pretend that nothing had happened.  But he wouldn't allow for that.  

"What would you like to drink?"

She glanced over at him nonchalantly.  "A whiskey sour."

He handed her the glass and she toyed with it, trying to hide her sudden nervousness.  Though, why she was nervous was something she couldn't understand.  She practically never felt nervous; why now?  Whoever this guy was, there was something familiar about him that confused her.  She had the oddest notion of déjà vu, but she didn't remember ever meeting him before.  Of course, she couldn't remember much of anything; not after what _they_ did to her memory.

The young woman refused to start a conversation.  After all, he was the one who had decided to walk over and sit beside her.  She looked down at her glass and avoided his cobalt blue eyes.  This, however, didn't throw him off.

"So, what can I call you?" 

She hesitated before answering.  "Yumi."  _A lie, always a lie._  Technically it was her name, in this colony anyway.  She never used her real name anymore.  She couldn't afford to be recognized, not when the consequences could prove to be fatal for her.  Even after three years she couldn't let her guard down; couldn't truly relax.  _Still running from the relentless hunter._  "And your name?" 

"Duo.  Nice to meet ya."  He winked at her and grinned boyishly.  

She looked at his face for the first time and studied it.  He was definitely handsome, even more so up close.  She noted that he kept his long chestnut coloured hair in a braid.  A little unusual, she thought to herself.  But then again, Duo didn't strike her as any typical guy.  There was more to that devil-may-care grin than he was letting on.  His face and body were relaxed, but his eyes were alert and aware of everything around him.  He'd had some kind of training, that was definite.  _Who is this guy?_  She found herself intrigued.  "What do you do?"

"I run a scrap yard not too far from here.  You?"

She paused, gauging whether or not she should tell him the truth.  Shrugging she decided to be honest, partly anyway.  "I'm a computer programmer and I do a bit of accounting, among other things."  She took another swig of her drink before continuing.  "I do some odd jobs, so I'm always traveling.  I do most of my work on the colonies.  Actually, I really can't remember the last time I've been to Earth."  

The longhaired boy nodded.  "I grew up on the colonies, though I have been to Earth.  But to me the colonies will always be home."  

She watched him out of the corner of her eye.  At first glance he seemed about her age; she'd guess about twenty-four.  She was pretty accurate with her guesses, but the expression of pain he wore at the moment made him look older.  

She finished her drink and grabbed Duo's arm.  "Wanna dance?"  She surprised herself.  She usually didn't encourage guys that approached her, but this guy had her completely off balance.  She felt reckless.

Duo nodded and let the black haired girl lead him to the dance floor.  It was another fast-paced and wordless song.  She looked up at him with hooded smoky blue eyes as she swayed her hips in time with the music.  She knew she looked good. She wore knee-high black boots, and her slinky navy blue top and short black skirt hugged every curve.  

She ran her hands over his white shirt and admired the hard muscles beneath it.  She moved her body closer and closer to his teasingly.  Her arms wound around his neck and flicked his long braid.  She couldn't remember the last time she'd flirted like she was now.  She'd forgotten how much fun it could be.  She smiled up at Duo and found herself staring into darkening violet eyes.  He gave her a devilish grin of his own and pulled her closer.  _So that's how he wants to play,_ she thought to herself.  She moved slowly, brushing her body against his.  She closed her eyes and tossed her head back, giving in to the sensations.  

She didn't know how long they stayed that way, but when she opened her eyes again stars dazzled her vision.  She felt dizzy and nauseated all at once.  She wobbled on her feet and Duo put his arms around her waist to steady her.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head.  "I don't know.  I need some air."  She started for the door but lost her balance and almost toppled again.  He caught her and helped her to her feet.  

"I'll go with you.  I could use the fresh air as well."

The girl almost smiled.  So he was cunning as well as a gentleman.  She leaned on his shoulder as he led her to the exit.  Once in the cool air, she slumped against the wall to try and regain control.  She felt light-headed, dizzy, and all her body wanted to do was rest.  But she was always out late and went to bed at ungodly hours.  _Why am I so damn tired now when it's still early?_  She didn't feel drunk; she was far too coherent for that.  She shook her head in agitation.  

"Yumi, are you alright?"  His expression was one of concern.

"Probably, but I think I should be going."  She stood up and her vision was covered in gray dots.  "Shit."  _This is not good._  

"Did you drive here?"

"No.  I walked, but I don't think I could walk all the way back now."  _Not in this condition,_ she added silently.

"I walked too.  My place isn't far from here."  He paused.  "I could walk you home.  Where are you staying?"

"At the motel on Second Street.  Know the place?"

"Yeah."  He looked at her in surprise.  "That's a bit of a walk and this isn't the best neighborhood.  You must be pretty brave."

"Or pretty stupid," she muttered under her breath.  She straightened herself and gritted her teeth, putting all her concentration into clearing her vision.  She closed her eyes and willed her muscles to stop trembling.  She felt a warm hand on her arm.

"Shall we go?"  Duo's lips were quirked in a wry-smile as he put an arm around her waist.

"After you."  

They made slow progress as her condition eventually worsened.  "Wait.  Just for a second," she grated out between staggered breaths.  She crouched down and tried to clear her head.  "What the hell is wrong with me?"

But Duo wasn't paying attention.  His face was alert and his muscles tensed.  "Shh…I think there's someone following us.  Come on, into the alley."  He half lifted, half dragged her into the alley where they waited anxiously.  Several seconds went by before they saw a figure slink through the shadows.  "I think it's a guy from the club."

The shorthaired girl narrowed her eyes as the guy slowly came into focus.  It was the same creep she had ignored at the bar.  _But that doesn't explain why he is following us,_ she thought.  As Duo watched him she examined her symptoms a little more carefully.  Something about them was nagging at her memory.  _I should know this.  Dizziness, nausea, weakness, fatigue…A drug! _ "Damnit," she swore quietly.  "But how?"  She looked up at the skulking figure making its way down the road and scowled.  He could have put it in her drink when she was ignoring him and turned away.  Though, even if that was the case, that was no excuse for him to keep following her.  _Unless…_  "He's one of _them_." 

"One of who?"

She looked up in surprise, having forgotten that Duo was there.  "These symptoms, I recognize them and the drug that causes them.  He must have slipped the drug into my drink at the bar and now he's after me."  She waved her hand dismissively at the look on the boy's face.  "Trust me.  This guy is bad news."  She glanced at the longhaired boy thoughtfully.  "In my state I can't deal with him on my own, but if you helped me…" she trailed off.  "All I need you to do is hold him, and I'll take care of the rest.  And don't let him see your face."  

He gave her a curious sidelong glance but nodded, grinning.  "Sure, but how do you plan on getting him to come over here?" 

"I think I can manage that."  She winked at him and stood up slowly.  Her anger cleared her head and gave her temporary strength.  She walked out of the alley and spotted the guy looking around a corner.  She whistled sharply, piercing the still air.  "Hey, big boy.  Looking for me?"

The guy turned around and smiled at her wickedly, walking swiftly.  As he got closer, she edged backwards towards the alley.  "Hey, I just wanted to apologize about before.  I'm sure you're a really great guy."  She gave him a sweet smile as he stopped in front of her.  "Unfortunately, I couldn't care less."  Before he could reply she punched him in the gut, causing him to double over.  "Now!"  Duo emerged from his hiding spot and pounced on the guy, catching his arms behind his back and hauling him into the alley.  

She glared at the guy as he caught his breath.  "Let's get to the point, shall we?  I know who you are and you obviously know who I am.  Since you've managed to find me, I guess I have been getting sloppy.  But why are they still after me?"

He shook his fat head and laughed.  "You think I'm going to tell you?"

She clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes.  "I guess you won't if I break your jaw."  

Big boy stopped laughing and scowled at her.  "I don't know."

She chuckled mirthlessly.  "I hate liars."  She snapped her leg up and lashed out with her right foot, catching the guy in the face.  Duo released the man and stared at the blue-eyed girl incredulously.  But she wasn't finished yet.  She grabbed the creep by the collar and shoved him into the wall, causing his head to snap back and hit the brick wall.  She let him go and he slumped to the ground unconscious, blood trickling from his mouth.  She turned around and brushed off her hands.  She caught Duo staring at her and frowned.  "He wasn't going to talk anyway; they never do."  She took a step forward but stumbled.  The braided boy caught her and tried to help her stand, but by now she was too weak.  She didn't have any energy left and the drug was now taking full effect.  She slumped against Duo's body bonelessly.  "I don't think I can walk anymore."

"What do you want to do?"

"I can't go back to the motel.  They probably know that's where I'm staying."  She looked up at him but the stars had come back and she knew she was going to black out soon.  

Duo picked her up and looked around for potential witnesses, but the streets were empty.  "So what would you suggest?"

She shook her head weakly.  "I don't have a lot of options at the moment," she admitted grimly.  "This particular drug is strong.  I won't be conscious for much longer."

He nodded in understanding.  "You can stay at my place."  When she looked at him questioningly he laughed.  "Don't worry, I live alone."

"Thanks, I'll return the favor one of these days."

"Don't worry about it.  It's my duty to take care of a damsel in distress."  He gave her a quick grin. 

"Who are you calling a damsel?  I'll kick your butt any day."  She wanted to say more, but her eyes were already closing as she sank into the inky blackness of sleep.  


	2. Dead or Alive?

**Living The Lie**

Author's Notes: okay, now this chapter may not be quite as exciting, but I need to start building the plot somewhere ^^;; and no, the title has nothing to do with the game :p  
To my reviewers: thank you so much!! ^__^ you make my day ^^ your compliments mean the world to me ^_-   
Thoughts are in _italics_. 

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  Get used to it; I did ^_-

Chapter Two: Dead or Alive?

Duo walked quickly through the soulless streets, half expecting to turn a corner and bump into someone.  But it never happened.  The trip home was thankfully uneventful; it would have been difficult explaining the unconscious girl in his arms.  He unlocked the door to his humble abode with minimum difficulty and closed the door behind him with a relieved sigh.  He fumbled on the wall until he heard a familiar _click_ and the light flickered on.  Duo stopped dead, his cobalt blue eyes widening.

"Damnit," he swore under his breath.  _When was the last time I cleaned this place up_, he thought to himself as he surveyed the room in mild horror.  Empty cans and food containers littered the living room and various papers were scattered all over his makeshift office.  

_So I'm not the neatest person I know_, he thought ruefully.  "I guess that only leaves one place," he muttered, smiling wryly down at her.  He padded up the stairs and kicked open the first of the two doors on the landing.  He stepped over piles of dirty laundry to the unmade bed.  Duo laid the dark-haired girl down gently and then bent down to pull off her boots.  He stood up and turned around with his arms crossed over his chest.

_When did I become such a slob_, he wondered.  Shaking his head, Duo resigned himself to cleaning up.  After shoving all the garbage into a bag, throwing the dirty clothes in the laundry room, and cleaning the dirty dishes, he found himself back in his room, standing over the pale, sleeping woman. 

 He sat down on the edge of the mattress and gazed intently at her.  _Yumi_.  He knew that she hadn't told him her real name.  He was very good at detecting what was truth, and what was fiction.  But after what had happened in the alley, he could hardly be surprised.  His brow furrowed as he remembered how calm and collected she'd been, even in her condition.  Her actions had been deliberate and precise.  _Who is she?  And who is after her?_  The two questions Duo wanted answered.  Something about her plagued him.  Something so familiar, yet he couldn't place it.  He shook his head in frustration and stood up to leave.  But her voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't go," she begged in an eerie voice.

Duo turned around slowly.  She lay in the middle of the bed with the blankets crumpled around her.  She was curled in a ball, her face contorted in misery.  _She's still asleep._  

"Why did you leave?" she cried, her hands balling into fists.  "Duo you jerk!"

Duo's jaw dropped.  _What did I do?_ he thought incredulously.  He sat on the bed next to her and ducked as a fist almost collided with his head.  Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat.  

"No!  Get out of here!  I want nothing to do with any of you ever again!"  Her arms thrashed about as if warding off attackers.  Duo grabbed her flailing arms and tried to wake her up.  "No!  Help!  Duo!"  Duo held her shoulders and shook her, calling for her to wake up.  Finally startled blue eyes looked up into cobalt ones.

She sat up quickly, her breathing ragged, and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.  Her chest heaved as she blinked and looked around the unfamiliar room.  "Where—" she started, but then she remembered snatches of the night; the club, the guy _they_ sent after her, and then passing out.  She turned her attention to the braided boy before her and attempted a wobbly smile.  "Sorry, I guess I was just having a nightmare.  How long have I been out?"

"Only a few hours."  Duo paused and watched her uncertainly, wondering if he should ask her about the dream she'd just had.  After a moment he decided against it and smiled at her.  _There will be time enough for that…_  "It's almost morning.  Maybe you should try and get some more sleep.  I'll be downstairs if you need anything."  He got up and walked to the door.

"Wait a minute."  She gave him a puzzled look.  "Why are you being so—so, trusting?  You don't even know me," she accused, narrowing her eyes and giving him a calculating glare.

Duo just laughed at her expression and flashed her a disarming grin.  "Who am I to deny a pretty lady help when she needs it?  Besides," he added, his expression sobering, "I know that you'll eventually tell me everything I need to know."  Duo winked at her before closing the door.

She waved off his nonchalant statement with a roll of her eyes and turned her mind towards more pressing matters.  The young woman hugged her legs to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees.  She squeezed her eyes shut and cursed under her breath.  _I've been too complacent_.  She punched the mattress and grit her teeth.  _After three years of running, they're still after me._  "What the hell do they want from me?"  She took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself.  _I have to think about this rationally._  _There must be a reason they're being so persistent._  

She laid down and stared at the ceiling, her brow furrowed in thought.  She weighed different possibilities in her mind until one thought stood apart from the rest: the mission.  _Five years and they still haven't carried out the mission._  "Well then I suppose that means that they want me dead before they can get on with it."  She paused and after a moment her blue eyes went wide.  

_Or they never found a replacement._  "They still want me…alive."  The very thought of going back to them made her skin crawl.  "Never," she whispered fiercely.  "I'll die before I let that scum use me again," she spat.

She closed her eyes again and tried to ward off the tidal wave of emotions that threatened to engulf her.  Despite her efforts, fury bubbled to the surface.  "I'll kill them.  The next one they send after me is as good as dead."  She grit her teeth and balled her hands into fists.  "I'll make them rue the day they ever recruited me."  Her lips curled in a bitter smile, the pain of her lost past ebbing away at her mind.

A soft knock on the door jolted her from her inner turmoil.  She looked at the digital clock on the nightstand and was startled to find that it was already seven am.  She quickly straightened her clothes and smoothed out her hair.  "Come in."

The door opened and the chestnut haired boy stood in the doorway.  "Morning," he grinned.  "How do you feel?"  He walked over to a large wardrobe against one wall and gave her a swift glance before opening the doors.  

"If you're talking about the drugs, then yeah I'm okay.  There don't seem to be any strong side-effects."  She got up from the bed and stretched out her limbs systematically, working out the kinks in her muscles.

Duo watched her blithe movements in fascination.  He'd failed to notice before how toned she was.  He couldn't take his eyes off her.  She stretched her arms in front of herself and then raised them above her head.  She rose up on her toes, revealing her midriff briefly.  Duo just stared at the young woman blatantly, admiring every curve and the skin that was so brazenly exposed.  

She opened her eyes and found herself being watched by a pair of intense violet ones.  She raised her eyebrows at him and he just shook his head slightly and smiled sheepishly.  "What are you doing?" she asked. 

Duo had gone back to rummaging through the wardrobe.  "I was looking for some clothes.  What do you think?"  He held up a pair of black sweatpants and a white T-shirt.  When she didn't reply, he went on.  "I know they're a bit big and all, but I'm sure it won't look too bad."  She glared daggers at him and Duo just laughed.  "Come on, you don't really want to be dressed like that all day."

The shorthaired woman just continued to glare at him.  "Is there something wrong with the way I'm dressed?"

"No.  Of course not," he reassured her quickly.  "But it can't be very comfortable, right?"

She gave the clothes in his hands a skeptical once-over, and nodded reluctantly.  He was right; she wasn't exactly dressed practically at the moment.  "Thanks a lot," she said as she took the clothes from his outstretched hands.  

"Don't mention it," he replied, stepping around her and to the door.  "When you're done changing, come downstairs and join me for breakfast."  He gave her a mock bow and flashed her a big grin before closing the door.

She just stared at the closed door unmoving.  _Why is he doing this for me?_  She couldn't help but wonder if there was more to his generosity than there appeared to be.  It was all just too good to be true.  He seemed nice enough and sincere.  But could she really trust him?  After all that had happened to her, she had her doubts.  Though he really did seem to be honest; she hadn't detected a lie from him yet.  _Maybe I'm just being paranoid._  She shook her head and began to shrug out of her clothes.  _It's about time I learned to trust people again_, she thought grimly.  _It's been far too long since I've actually talked to someone._  _Running gets too lonely_.  

She turned to study herself in the small mirror next to the wardrobe.  The clothes were big on her, almost comically so.  She shrugged helplessly at her reflection and walked away to the door.  "He better not laugh at me," she muttered, but couldn't help smiling as she made her way down the stairs.  

Duo had finished making breakfast with what he had managed to find in his fridge, making a mental note to buy groceries later, and set the small table.  He sat down to wait for his guest and lapsed into thought.  _I wonder how long she'll stay_.  _Probably not long, she seems like the type who doesn't stay in one place longer than necessary_.  He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.  _Has it really been five years that I've lived here alone?_  He sighed quietly.  _It seems like so much longer._  _Talk about isolation_.  Duo allowed himself a wry smile.  _It's good to have company_, he thought.  _I just wish…_  Duo dropped his head into his hands; the thought was too painful to finish.  He gave himself a mental shake.  _I can't keep thinking about her_.  _It won't bring her back._  _If she hasn't come back after five years, then…_  

Duo looked up quickly into a pair of curious blue eyes.  He smiled apologetically.  "Sorry.  I didn't hear you come down."

The young woman gave him a sidelong glance before sitting down.  She picked up her fork and tried the scrambled eggs on her plate.  "Mmm…These eggs are pretty good," she admitted.  "So, what were you thinking about just now?" she asked casually.  

Duo looked at her quickly.  "Nothing much, why?"

"You had this expression on your face.  As if you'd lost something important and never found it."  She shrugged and took a bite from her toast.  "I was just curious."

"I guess you could put it that way," he said.  "I was just thinking about the past."

She nodded.  "They say you shouldn't dwell in the past."  The shorthaired woman shrugged again.  "But I wouldn't know anything about that," she mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

She waved her fork at him with a shake of her head. "Nothing."

"So, how do the clothes fit?"

"Not too bad I guess.  Mind you," she began thoughtfully, "I am going to have to retrieve my stuff from the motel soon.  I'm supposed to check out of there by tonight."

"I'll take care of it."

"I don't know if that's really a good idea.  If they see you and identify you, then all of this was for not."

Duo dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand.  "Don't worry, I know what to do."

"Don't underestimate them.  You won't get the chance to regret it."

Duo turned to face her.  "And you still haven't told me who exactly 'they' are."

Her fork stopped in mid-bite.  She tilted her chin downwards, her shiny blue-black hair falling forward to obscure Duo's view of her face.  "_They_," she began through clenched teeth, "are an underground organization who like to call themselves 'Noir Venin'."

Duo scratched his head.  "Never heard of them."

The young woman straightened and continued eating.  "I didn't expect you to.  No one knows about them.  That's the way they want it.  But don't let that put you off guard.  They've been increasing their ranks slowly over that past few years and they're much bigger than they were."  

Duo ate the last bit of food on his plate and stood up.  "I have some things I have to go do this morning, but I should be back later in the afternoon," he said, as he dumped his plate into the sink.  He gave her an apologetic look.  "Well…I'm not sure what you want to do, but you probably should just stay here, right?  They're looking for you now so it's not exactly safe to go out."

She nodded her compliance and walked to the sink.  "I know.  I'm sure I can find something to do."  

"See you later!"  Duo smiled and walked to the door, putting on his jacket and shoes.  He was about to open the door when he felt a warm hand on his arm.  He turned to find the woman standing beside him.  She looked slightly embarrassed.  "What is it?"

"I—I just wanted to say thank you."  She could feel the blood rising in her cheeks.  

He just grinned.  "My pleasure."  He began to close the door but stopped halfway, poking his head back inside.  "And by the way, Yumi, before the night is over, you are going to tell me your real name."  Duo winked at her before closing the door completely.

The young woman just stared at the closed door in shock.  _He knew_.  She shook her head in disbelief as she walked back to the kitchen.  "He knew it wasn't my real name."  She picked up the sponge and began cleaning the breakfast dishes.  "Who _is_ this guy?"  She looked down into the soapy water and furrowed her brow.  _He doesn't seem to miss anything_.  _He appears to always be so laidback, but underneath that exterior he's sharp._  She shook her head as she dried her hands on the dishcloth, deciding to worry about it later.  

"Oh well…Now let's see, what else is there left for me to do?"  She let her eyes rove over the few rooms of the house and stopped at a semi-open door off the main hall.  She swung the door open and hesitated on the threshold.  After a moment she stepped forward and felt for the light switch on the wall.  When the light flickered on she let out an involuntary gasp.  

"What a mess!"  She looked around the smallish room in disapproval.  She guessed it to be his home office.  But the room was in a complete state of disorder.  She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.  If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was piles of paperwork in disarray.  Being a bit obsessive compulsive about such things, she collected the papers and began organizing them.  She scrutinized the filing cabinets in the room and discovered at some point in time everything had been kept in order.  Though, how long ago that might have been was something she didn't know.  Though, judging by the dates on the papers she held in her hands, it was at least four years ago and possibly more.

_I wonder what might have happened that caused him to stop organizing things_.  She looked down at the sheaf of papers in her hands and frowned.  _Maybe he used to have someone here helping him…_  She shrugged off the nagging feeling of familiarity in the back of her mind and returned to her work.  

A few hours later she had finished collecting all the papers, organized them by company, and filed them away in their respective places.  She stood in the middle of the room and surveyed her work with a grin.  _Now for a nice hot shower.  I'm sure Duo won't mind._  She smiled as she made her way up the stairs.  Opening the door beside Duo's bedroom, she peered inside and was surprised to find the small room to be tidy.  "Who knew," she muttered to herself as she stepped inside and grabbed, what she hoped was a clean towel.  She turned on the water and quickly undressed.  She closed her eyes and sighed as she stepped under the hot liquid.  The young woman kept the shower short and left the water feeling refreshed.

She glanced at herself in the mirror as she dried herself with the towel.  For a moment she almost didn't recognize the solemn woman staring back at her.  She tore her gaze away from the mirror and shook her head, scowling bitterly.  It wasn't the first time she had momentarily forgotten her appearance.  _They couldn't have just taken away my past.  No, of course not,_ she seethed silently.  _They had to destroy my identity completely._  Her only clue as to what she used to look like before the 'alteration', was a worn picture she kept in her wallet that was taken when she was just fifteen.  She shut her eyes tightly and saw a flash of herself unwrapping the bandages around her head.  _They will pay…if it's the last thing I ever do._      

She'd just finished pulling on her clothes and was combing her hair when she heard the faint scrape of metal on metal and a resounding _click_.  "He's home…" she mumbled looking at her watch.  _It's three o'clock already?_  She shook her head and marveled at how quickly time could pass as she walked down the stairs and to the door. 

He sat at his desk glaring at the silent communicator resting on its surface.  When it finally buzzed to life, he almost smashed it in his barely contained fury.  

"What's the status?" he growled in agitation before the other person could say a word.

"W-we've located her, General Stryker," stammered the young sounding voice.

"Where?"

"She's taken refuge with a young man here on L2."  The young man stopped, seemingly unable to continue.

Stryker clenched and unclenched his fist in agitation as the silence continued.  "Well, who is he?"

"We've positively identified him to be Duo Maxwell," squeaked the voice.

"What!?" Stryker demanded explosively, blotchy red spots appearing on his face.

"She met him at a nightclub," the young man started to explain fearfully.  "Hunt managed to slip her the drug, but Maxwell got to her before he could.  Hunt followed them, but ended up being attacked by them both.  He's lucky we found him when we did."

"He's gonna wish he had never been born by the time I'm done with him," growled Stryker.  "Post surveillance around the house.  Make sure you're discreet.  I don't need to remind you who we're dealing with."

"No, General."

"Good.  I also shouldn't have to tell you what will happen if she regains her memory before you bring her here."  He closed the connection abruptly, angrily crushing the communicator in the process.


	3. What's In A Name?

**Living The Lie**

Author's Notes: okay, I hope things are finally start to make a bit of sense ^^;; no warning for this chapter; it's pretty tame ^^ but next chapter XD h0h0h0h0h0 *ahem*  ^^;;  
To my reviewers: I lub you all so much! Thanx for your support ^__^  
Thoughts, flashbacks, and dreams are in _italics_. 

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  Get used to it; I did ^_-

Chapter Three: What's In A Name?

Duo leaned back in his seat as his jet-black mustang flew along the highway.  He was finally on his way back from running his errands.  He'd even remembered to buy groceries before heading home.  He furrowed his brow as his mind ran through the day's events.  After he'd stopped by the scrap yard and had accomplished his daily tasks, he'd made a call to an old friend; one he hadn't talked to in a while; a long while.  The conversation played itself over in his mind.

_"Yo Heero, howz it going?  You busy?"  Duo grinned at the ever serious-faced young man on the vid screen.  _

_"Always.  What do you need?"_

_Duo smirked.  "That obvious, huh?"_

_"Why else would you be calling me?"_

_The braided-boy just shrugged sheepishly.  "I need some information, and I was hoping you could help me."_

_Heero simply nodded.  "About what?"_

_"An underground organization that goes by the name 'Noir Venin'.  Heard of'em?"_

The young man frowned and began typing furiously on the computer beside him.  "'Black Venom'.  It sounds familiar…"

_Duo watched him anxiously.  "Well?"_

_"I can't find anything.  How did you hear about them?"_

_"It's kinda a long story actually.  I can't get into it right now but they've got some agents of theirs here on L2."_

_Heero watched him skeptically.  "I see.  I'll look into it for you.  If I find anything I'll contact you."_

_"Thanks, I owe you one."_

Duo shook his head.  If Heero hadn't even heard of these guys, then who would?  _But if anyone can find them, he will._  

Duo pulled into the driveway and turned off the car.  He picked up the grocery bags from the back seat and unlocked the front door.  "I'm home," he called as he shut the door behind him.

"Welcome back."

For a moment his heart stopped.  _Could it really be…_  Duo turned slowly to meet the owner of the feminine voice.  As the woman's face came into focus, he let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Duo?"  She frowned in concern, "You okay?"

"Yes."  He smiled apologetically.  "Sorry.  It was only…for a moment you sounded like someone I knew, and I thought—"  

"You thought what?"

"Nothing.  Just my imagination."  _Idiot!_  He scolded himself.  _She's not coming back!_  He forced a smile for the woman as he took off his shoes.  

"Would you like some help?"

"Sure."  He handed her a few of the bags and followed her to the kitchen.  As he passed by his office, he noticed that the door was open.  _I could've sworn I left this closed._  He turned on the lights and staggered, his jaw going slack.  "Wha—how?" he demanded.

She walked over to the incredulous boy and looked over his shoulder into the small room.  "What's wrong?"

"It's—it's—"

"Clean?" she offered with a smile.

"Well, yeah, but where's all my stuff?" he asked gesturing to the uncluttered desk and floor.

"I put it away in the filing cabinets where it's supposed to be."

Duo turned to stare at her with wide cobalt eyes.  "Why?"

The woman shrugged, avoiding his gaze and walked back to the kitchen.  "I was bored and I've always been a bit obsessed about organizing things.  Besides, most of them already had existing files; it was only a matter of putting it all away."  She opened the fridge and began to stock it with food.  "Why did you stop filing your paperwork anyway?"

"You mean besides becoming a lazy ass?" he asked grinning.  The woman just glared at him and Duo raised his hands in defeat.  "I used to have someone that helped me…"

"Oh, well she was very good."

Duo looked at her sharply.  "How did you know it was a 'she'?"

The shorthaired girl paused in surprise.  _How did I know?_  Her forehead creased as she searched for the answer.  _I just knew; sorta like a gut feeling._  _But…he'll think I'm crazy if I say something like that.  _After a moment, it came to her.

"The handwriting.  There was no way that you could write as neatly as that.  So I just knew," she concluded simply, returning to the fridge.  

"You don't have to be so blunt about it," he pouted.

She couldn't help but grin as she watched him.  _He looks so adorable like that,_ she thought with a laugh.  _So different from the person I saw in the club._  _But, then again,_ she reminded herself, _I'm the same way._  _Still…_  

She snuck a glance over her shoulder at the young man, taking a moment to admire the body she'd been so close to less than twenty-four hours ago.  She closed her eyes as she remembered the feeling of his body moving against hers.  The hard muscles under her fingertips…

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" asked a husky voice in her ear.

Her eyes flew open and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.  She opened the fridge and ducked her head, trying to hide her face from him.  "Oh, just thinking about what I could make for dinner," she replied quickly without thinking, and immediately regretted it.  

Duo's eyebrows went up.  "You're making dinner?"

"Well," she faltered, "I guess I could.  But, only if you help me."  She turned and gave him her sweetest smile.  "So, what'll it be?"

The longhaired boy leaned back on the counter and frowned in thought.  "Something simple would be good."

"How about a stir fry then?  Beef or chicken?"

"Beef."

"Sure," she replied smiling.  "I'll just prepare the meat now."

"Okay, I'll be on the computer; I have to check a few things."

She watched him disappear around the corner, and then let out a sigh of relief.  She rested her hands on the countertop and stared at the gray surface.  Had he known what she'd been thinking?  She didn't think so, but with him she couldn't tell.  _Maybe he's just very good at reading people's actions and expressions…Like I was trained to do._  

She took the meat out of the fridge and put it on the cutting board.  Picking up the knife, she twirled it expertly a few times before cutting the meat into smaller strips.  _If he's able to read me so easily it must mean that he's either extraordinarily good or I've forgotten my training._  She sighed and shook her head, putting the knife down.  _I've relaxed and let my guard down.  It's a wonder they didn't find me sooner,_ she realized bitterly.  She reached for various spices and set to work marinating the pieces.  _From now on there can't be anymore screw-ups._

After she had put the meat into the fridge and cleaned up the mess, the young woman knocked lightly on the door of the small room.  

"Yeah, come in."

She pushed open the door hesitantly and peeked inside.  The braided-boy was sitting in front of the computer, reading something on the screen.  She walked up behind him and leaned on the back of his chair, casually looking over his shoulder.  "What are you reading?"

Duo put his hands behind his head and grinned up at her.  "Nothing much.  Just work related stuff.  Have you taken a look at the computer yet?"

"No.  Why?  Is there something you wanted me to look at?"

"Well, now that you mention it."  He got up in one fluid motion, and gestured for her to take a seat.  "The program I used to keep track of my financial records and accounting is more than a little outdated," he admitted with a sheepish grin.  "Any suggestions?" 

"I do know of a few programs that I'm sure even you can manage.  But, the software is in my luggage which I don't happen to have handy at the moment."

"I've already got that covered."  He winked at her doubtful expression.  "In fact, I'm expecting it to arrive shortly."

"Arrive?"  She gave him a quizzical look.

"That's what I—"  He stopped when he heard the sharp knock at the door.  "That's my cue.  Stay here, I'll only be a minute," he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

She got up quietly and stopped at the threshold of the small room, straining to hear the exchange between Duo and the stranger.

"Duo Maxwell?"

"Yes.  Is this it?"

"Yeah, this was all there was."

"Thank you.  Give Mr. Winner my thanks."

"Of course."

She waited till she heard the sound of the door closing before emerging into the hall.  "Duo?"  He smirked at her as he hefted a small suitcase and gym bag.  "You really did get it," she admitted grudgingly.

"Of course I did.  You didn't believe me?" he asked, his expression one of mock hurt.

"I had my doubts," she murmured softly, taking the bags from his hands and examining the contents.  "Everything's here," she admitted with surprise after a few moments inspection.

"Were you expecting otherwise?"

She paused and sat back on her heels thoughtfully.  "I would have expected them to at least try…"  She pulled her laptop out of the gym bag and turned it on.  A quick examination revealed what she had suspected.  "They didn't even attempt to infiltrate my files.  And," she continued after looking at the remaining contents of the bag, "none of my disks or CD's are missing either."

"Is it possible that they might have slipped a tracer in there somewhere?"

"I'm not sure, though it's highly unlikely.  It's not their style."

"But, it wouldn't hurt to check, right?"

"Of course," she replied, shutting off her laptop.  She rummaged through the contents until she found a palm-sized device.  "Now to see if it still works," she muttered to herself once she'd turned it on.  "Hand me your cell phone." 

"What!?"

She glanced up at him impatiently.  "I'm not going to do anything to it, I just need to check if this has been tampered with."

Duo eyed the small gauge wearily, but handed over the phone anyways.  He watched as she ran the box over the phone and raised his eyebrows when it began to beep.  "What does that mean?"

"It means, that this still works," she said, pointing to the beeping device.  She handed him back his phone and waited till the gauge slowly went back down and the beeping stopped.  "Okay, now to check everything else," she said quietly.

"What does that thing do exactly?" Duo asked, watching her with growing curiosity.

"It detects anything that can emit frequencies," she replied distractedly.  "Including electronic and digital."  

"So it'll detect anything that might be transmitting frequencies, like tracers."

She nodded and continued to check both her bags.  She sifted through her clothes and belongings without a hitch.  "No tracer," she concluded, tossing the contraption back into her bag.  "Which is what I figured.  They don't usually resort to such methods because they're too obvious or easily detectable.  But…"  She glanced back at the door uncertainly.  "It would be like them to follow whoever picked up my things."  She frowned and looked over at Duo.  When she met his eyes, he just shrugged.

"I guess he could've been followed, but even still."  He gave her a knowing grin.  "Somehow I don't think they'd dare attack directly.  Not if you're here with me."

She narrowed her eyes at his assumption and shook her head.  "You can't _know_ that."

"But I do.  Trust me." 

She smirked at him before replying, "I didn't realize you were so overconfident."

"It's not overconfidence," he stated simply.  Duo crouched down so that he was looking directly into her blue eyes.  He grasped her chin between his forefinger and thumb and watched as those eyes widened by a fraction.  "You may have your secrets, but I have a few of my own."  He gazed steadily at her with an unfathomable expression for a few moments before standing again abruptly and walking down the hall.  

She watched his retreating back in mild surprise until he stopped at the door to the office.    He turned his head towards her, a slight smile tugging on the corners of his mouth when he noticed she still hadn't moved.  

"You're not planning on staying there all night, are you?  You said you'd help me with the computer, right?"

She looked at him blankly before blinking a few times and then finally nodding in comprehension as his words registered in her mind.  "Yeah," she mumbled as she went back to rummaging around in her bag for the software she would need.  Grabbing the various disks, she walked briskly past him and to the computer.  She sat down without hesitation and quickly set to work.  

Duo stood behind her, leaning on the back of the chair and watching as her fingers flew deftly across the keyboard.  She worked in silence, only breaking it when she required his permission to delete files and uninstall programs.  A bitter smile curved his lips as images of another dark haired beauty typing away on his computer came to mind.  He chided himself silently for ever thinking that he could forget about her completely.  He would never forget her, even if she had already forgotten about him…

"Hey, Duo."  

He looked down at the source of the voice that broke through his thoughts and was momentarily confused to find himself staring into hauntingly familiar blue eyes.  He gave himself a mental shake and flashed her a forced smile.  "Yeah?"

"It's done," she said simply.

"Great."  He nodded once and turned to leave.  "Shut it off, please.  I'll be in the kitchen.  It's already almost six, so we might as well make dinner now, right?"

She watched him go with a frown.  "What's with that guy?" she muttered under her breath.  Sighing, she shut off the computer and walked into the kitchen.  _He has more mood swings than a girl!_  _It's as if every time I turn my back, he becomes someone else; a very solemn and distant someone else._  

Duo stood by the sink, knife in hand as he chopped a carrot diligently.  

"Umm…Duo?" she asked hesitantly, moving to stand beside him.  "Would you like some help?"

"Sure.  Can you wash the rest of the vegetables that are in the sink?"

She nodded and went about her task in silence.  She watched him from the corner of her eye trying to think of a subtle way to break the awkward stillness.  Unable to think of anything, she said the first thing that came to mind.  "How was your day?"  She winced inwardly at the question.

"Well, it was the same as it always is," he replied and shrugged.  Thinking back on his conversation with Heero, a small frown curved his mouth.  "But, not nearly as productive as I would've hoped," he admitted quietly.  He flashed the young woman beside him a quick smile.  "So, you seem to have kept yourself pretty busy today, right Yumi?"

Duo noticed that she flinched as he said the name, reminding him of his earlier promise.  He frowned again at her reaction, wondering if maybe he was pushing her too hard on the name issue.  After all, it was just a name.  

"I was just thinking," he started.  "It's not really important whether you tell me your real name or not.  So, if you don't want to tell me, then you don't have to."  He glanced at her quickly only to find her expression one of suspicion.

She watched him through narrowed eyes.  "And?"

"What?" he held up his hands and widened his eyes innocently.

"There's always a catch when something is too good to be true."

He chuckled, shaking his head before meeting her blue eyes.  "Well, if you insist."  He pretended to think for a moment and then winked at her.  "Okay.  If you don't want to tell me your name then you have to at least tell me about yourself."

She nodded to herself, as if confirming something.  She debated the options silently, weighing one and its consequences and then the other.  Of course, the choice was rather simple; she would tell him about herself.  _After all, there really isn't much to tell in the first place._  She couldn't tell him her name, and she wouldn't…  Her name meant so much to her; the only true thing in her fabricated life.  Even her appearance, her face anyways, had been altered.  The only thing that hadn't changed throughout her ordeal was her name.__

"Fine.  What is it that you want to know?"  She squeezed her eyes shut in fearful anticipation.  

Duo watched her in amusement.  He was slightly surprised that she had chosen to disclose her life instead of her name.  He knew that she was hiding her name with good cause, but didn't she trust him yet?  He decided to shrug it off, knowing that he would not let her leave before her name had been revealed to him.  He pushed these thoughts away and returned to the present question.  _What do I want to know?_  

_Everything._

Duo's eyes widened in shock.  _Where did that come from?_  Of course, he already knew the answer.  It had sprung from the very farthest reaches of his mind.  The unconscious part that had been clamoring to be heard since he had met her.  The part that had been trying to tell him about the mysterious woman standing beside him.  

"Duo?"

He turned to meet her inquiring gaze and forced a smile.  "Yes.  Umm, why don't you just start from the beginning?"

"Okay…" she mumbled training her eyes downwards to watch her hands work.  "I was born and raised on L2.  My parents died when I was young, so I lived with my aunt.  It was a pretty boring existence.  I helped out with her business when I wasn't busy with school, but I was restless.  I wanted to do something with my life."  She spoke the words bitterly, her eyes flickering with self-condemnation.  "I wanted to help the colonies.  So, I did what I thought was 'right'; I joined OZ at fourteen."

Duo looked at her sharply.  Her voice was filled now with barely contained anger.  He watched as her hands balled into fists and her knuckles turned white.  He hardly dared to breath as he waited for her to continue.

But she never did.

"Yumi.  I'm sorry, if you don't want—"

"No."  She stood utterly still, the muscles in her neck taut and her back rigid.  "That's all I know."

He looked at her in confusion.  "I don't understand…"

"Of course you don't."  Her laughter was mirthless as she flashed ice-cold blue eyes in his direction.  "My memory was erased from the ages of fourteen to eighteen.  In between those years, I have no clue who I was, what I did, or where I did it.  All I knew when I woke up, was that I would take my revenge on the people that had done that to me."  She turned to look at him, trying to keep her face expressionless, but her voice gave away her pain.  "But it was all a lie.  Everything they told me.  Everything I believed.  My whole existence has been nothing but a humongous lie."  She let her chin fall against her chest, her short hair obscuring her face.  

Duo reached out to touch her impulsively, the need to comfort her overwhelming.  He rested his hand on her shoulder and tentatively squeezed it, while the other hand tilted her chin up.  "I'm so sorry," he told her quietly.  

She blinked away the wetness in her eyes and shook her head.  "No, it's not your fault.  It was part of the deal, right?"  She attempted a smile, but failed miserably.  Stepping out of his reach, she turned to the fridge and retrieved the beef.  She worked in silence, avoiding his eyes and any further conversation.  

Duo felt a tightness in his chest as he watched her cook.  He couldn't understand why her story had upset him so much.  It had stirred memories he had thought long forgotten.  Ones of a certain raven-haired vixen and himself.  But was that really the reason he felt this unbearable gnawing at his heart?  He knew her story was far from finished, but something told him that this was a first for her.  She hadn't bared her soul to anyone before and the pain was all but consuming her.  _If only I could get her to be less aware, more detached from her pain.  Then she could finish._  Duo watched her thoughtfully, brow furrowed.  A few moments later his mouth curled into a smile that promised mischief, and lots of it.


	4. When Plans Go Awry

**Living The Lie**

Author's Notes: *insert evil laughter* the rating of this chapter is a tad questionable for me ^^; so I'm going to play on the safe side and rate it R.  No violence or gore or swearing…but there is a (somewhat) steamy bit somewhere in there.  In any case, you've been warned! ^_^  
To my reviewers: Nothing would be possible without your moral support and encouragement *bows* domo arigatou ^__^  
Thoughts, flashbacks, and dreams are in _italics_. 

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  Get used to it; I did ^_-

Chapter Four: When Plans Go Awry

The young woman sipped her wine quietly as she glanced at the chestnut-haired man across from her.  She had already finished her dinner and was politely waiting for him to do the same.  The conversation through dinner had been tense and dull, and she had to admit that it was mostly her fault.  She hadn't been exactly co-operative when he had tried to start innocent banter.  But she couldn't help it.  She felt withdrawn and brooded silently over what she had revealed to him.  _Does he hate me?_  One look at his grinning face told her that this was most likely not the case.  For whatever reason, she couldn't see the good-natured young man hating anyone.  The thought, of course, was ludicrous.  It was impossible to have lived through the war and not have hated someone during or after.  

"Yumi?"

She looked up at him quickly, slightly embarrassed for having allowed her mind to wander.  "Yes?"

"Wanna play cards?"  He grinned at her as he waved a pack of cards in the air.  "Or would you rather watch a movie?"

She smiled at him, welcoming the distraction.  "Cards," she stated firmly.

"Good choice."  He got up and dumped the dirty dishes in the sink.  "We can play in the living room."  He padded down the hall, not turning to see if she'd followed him, and plopped himself down on the couch.  He took the cards out of the package and discarded it.  He began to shuffle them with practiced flair as she sat down beside him.  

"What's the game?" she asked, as her eyes followed his movements in amusement.

"Strip poker!"  He moved agilely, catching the fist that had been aimed at his midsection.  "Or maybe just poker," he grinned.  

"Good call," she muttered, pulling her fist out of his grasp.  

"I'll be dealer."  He finished shuffling and dealt the cards quickly.  "So, what will the wager be?" he asked, as he innocently pulled out two shot glasses and a few bottles of alcohol from somewhere behind him.

She watched this with growing suspicion.  But after he had flashed her another of his disarming grins, she decided to throw caution to the wind.  She was determined to have fun with the handsome young man beside her, and make the best of her current situation.  Besides, she knew that she couldn't stay much longer and only God knew when the next time would be that she would have company.  _Yes,_ she thought resolutely.  _I will enjoy myself._  

"Wager?  Isn't that what the alcohol is for?" she asked him with one eyebrow arched.

He smiled mischievously.  "I thought it would be more interesting than using money."

"Maybe," she shrugged.  "So, how does it work?"

"Instead of chips or money, we use shots.  You can bet as many as you like.  Whoever wins, keeps the 'pot' and whoever loses gets none.  After we've played seven games, whoever has the least number of shots loses, and the loser has to drink the difference between the two numbers, or however many the winner decrees.   And after each game, both of us will have a shot.  Don't worry, I can keep track of the numbers in my head."  He grinned at her.  "Seem fair enough?"

She smirked at him.  "It only sounds fair for the winner which, of course, will be me.  I never lose."

"Then this should be interesting, cuz neither do I," he replied, grinning at her undaunted.  

"Well, then allow me to teach you a lesson in losing; I just hope you're a good loser."

"Gimme whatcha got, Yumi."

"Three eights and two threes beat two tens, two fours and an ace.  I guess I can chalk up another win for me.  That brings up my wins to four."  He remained oblivious to the deathly glare aimed in his direction and continued to ponder aloud.  "So if you've only won twice, then that brings the total number of games to six.  That leaves one game left, right?" he asked, as he turned innocent eyes to the silently fuming girl beside him.

"Yes," she conceded, narrowing her eyes into cat-like slits.  

"Do you wanna be dealer for this round?"

"No."

"Okay, then I'll deal."

"No."

Duo looked up at the woman in surprise.  "What's wrong?"  _Is she angry with me?_

She shrugged and watched him with cool indifference.  "I just don't feel like playing anymore."  

"Sore loser, huh?"  He couldn't hide his smirk.

"Not at all, I just understand when to keep fighting and when to recognize defeat.  Only fools fight where there is no hope."  

Duo's eyes widened of their own accord as he silently digested her cool and simplistic logic.  Those were the words of a survivor.  Of someone who'd had to face hopeless situations and still come out in one piece…physically and mentally.  He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, trying not to think about what she'd said and how he could apply it to his own experiences.   

"Okay, since you forfeit, then you have a lot of drinking to do."  He flashed her an evil grin. 

"I highly doubt that, unless you want to take me to the hospital for alcohol poisoning," she replied smugly.

"True."  Duo pretended to consider her statement, but he'd never intended for her to drink that much anyway.  He didn't want her to get sick.  "Okay, have two more shots, for now."  He poured clear liquid into one and a combination of coffee liqueurs into the other.  Placing the two glasses in front of her, he watched as she picked up the first one and then the second downing them both quickly.  

She shook her head as she felt the alcohol burn its way down her throat and into her stomach.  She already felt beyond buzzed and a little while later she noticed that the world had taken to moving when it pleased.  She wasn't sure if he was trying to get her drunk, but she realized that she just didn't care.  Her mind began to go fuzzy as she watched him get up from the couch and move to the TV and put on a movie.  After watching the images flash across the screen at an alarming rate for some time, she quickly grew bored.  Shrugging, she stretched her limbs out languorously.  She let her eyes wander around the room, stopping only when they met curious cobalt ones.  Giving the young man a slow, lazy smile she crawled closer to him until she was sitting in his lap.  She leaned her head on his chest and snaked her arms around his neck.  

Duo glanced down at the woman in his lap and raised his eyebrows in surprise.  This had not been exactly what he'd had in mind when he'd thought to get her to talk.  However, as compromising as the situation was, Duo felt strangely relaxed.  As if this were exactly the way things were supposed to be.  He closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch, wrapping his arms around her waist.  _It feels so good to have her in my arms.  I should probably be feeling guilty right about now, but it's not as if we're doing—_

Duo cut off that thought as he felt wetness and warmth on his neck.  "Umm…Yumi?"

"Hmm…"  She continued her ministrations, alternating between biting and soothing the nips with her tongue.

"What are you doing?"  He sat completely still as he felt, more than heard, her throaty chuckle. 

"What do you _think_ I'm doing?" she teased, shifting slightly so that she could reach up past his shoulder to nibble on his earlobe.

Duo hissed through his teeth and willed his body not to respond to her actions.  He put his hands on her hips and attempted to extract the woman from his lap.  "Yumi, stop it!  You don't realize what you're doing."  However, moving her from her perch proved to be more difficult than he originally thought.  _When did she get so strong?_

She laughed softly by his ear before pulling away far enough to meet his gaze with hooded eyes.  "Don't I?" she asked huskily, tightening the arms looped around his neck.

"No," he replied firmly, "you don't, cuz you're drunk."

"No!  Am not," she pouted at him.

Duo sighed and shook his head, this was going to take patience.  "Yes you are and you're going to regret your actions as soon as you realize what you're doing."

"No I won't," she smiled at him and pulled his face down to hers.

Duo's eyes widened in surprise as he found his mouth a breath away from hers.  His words caught in his throat as he tried to tell her to stop, that she didn't want this.  But her lips quickly caught his in their embrace, and his thoughts short-circuited.  Her lips were soft yet demanding; insisting that he surrender himself to her kiss.  Duo found himself returning the kiss, and enjoying it.  Her fingers traced intricate patterns on his back as her tongue wound it's way past his lips into the recess of his mouth.  She tasted of chocolate and the sweet tang of alcohol.  Her body yielded to his as he tightened the arms around her waist and pulled her closer.  

He whispered her name against her lips as they pulled apart.  Her mouth quirked into a smirk as she moved swiftly to straddle his legs between her own.  Her hands found their way under Duo's shirt to caress his finely muscled chest.  She raked her nails over sensitive flesh and her mouth resumed its merciless attack on his neck.  Her handiwork elicited a deep moan from the young man beneath her.  Her grin turned smug as she met his intense violet gaze.

Duo watched the amusement dance in her smoky blue eyes in frustration.  How had she become the one in control?  "Yumi, enough!" he demanded.  "That's enough."  His body protested to these words but he stubbornly ignored it, focusing on trying to remove himself from the intoxicated woman.

"Why?" she murmured.  "I'm not good enough?"

"No!  That's not it…I just can't take advantage of you like this.  It's wrong, Yumi."

She studied him briefly before shrugging and allowing him to remove her from his lap.  "Suit yourself," she said emotionlessly.

Duo frowned at the young woman seated next to him, hugging her knees.  "I'm sorry," he said quietly.  When she didn't respond he tilted her chin up so he could see her face.  The expression she wore was blank and her eyes betrayed nothing.  "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Yes."  She blinked at him.  "What makes you ask?"

Duo's frown deepened.  "Yumi, please, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing."  She tried to stand up but her legs wobbled and her vision wavered.

Duo caught her on the way down, cradling her to his chest.  "Yumi, if you need to talk, I'm willing to listen.  Don't let it eat you from the inside out."

She looked at him wearily.  "I don't know you and, more importantly, I don't know if I can trust you yet."

Duo couldn't understand why exactly her words stung so badly.  She was being reasonable…mostly.  "Why don't you trust me?" he asked softly.

She hesitated, for once doubting her resolve not to trust anyone with her pain.  "I want to trust you," she mumbled before she realized what she was saying.  "But, I haven't trusted anyone since them—not since they betrayed me."

"Sorry, Yumi.  If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine.  I only want to help you."

"You've helped me so much already…" she trailed off, her eyes already fluttering closed.

"I know that…but that doesn't change how I feel."  He hugged the woman tightly to himself, wanting to protect her from her fears.  He held her that way for a few minutes, waiting for her to fall asleep.  He watched her pale and normally tense features relax in the lull of sleep.  _She looks so vulnerable_.  He pushed the few wispy bangs from her face, allowing his fingers to linger on her cheek longer than necessary.  He brushed a thumb over her cheekbone and down to her lips.  He paused there, remembering the feelings and sensations those lips had elicited in him.  It'd been close—too close for his comfort.  _It won't happen again_.  

Hauling himself to his feet, Duo carried her to his room and laid her down gently.  He pulled the blanket around her shoulders, pausing to brush a light kiss on her forehead.  "Sweet dreams," he whispered, closing the door.  He leaned his back against the cool surface and let out a sigh.  _I wonder if she'll ever trust me enough._

He went to the kitchen and began to wash the dinner dishes and ended up lost in thought.  No matter how he tried, he couldn't stop replaying her words to him:  _…more importantly, I don't know if I trust you yet._  He wasn't sure why her trust was so important; he hardly knew her after all.  Though he'd told her the truth when he'd said that he wanted to help her.  It went beyond obligation; he felt an undeniable compulsion to save her from her plight.  How, was the part he was still working on.  Despite his plans going awry, Duo was still determined to learn the full truth of her past.  In order to protect her completely, he would have to know exactly what or whom he was protecting her against.  

He couldn't pinpoint exactly when she had become so important to him.  But after some contemplation he finally understood why.  Staring into the soapy water, he let himself admit it.  "She reminds me of _her_—of—" he broke off, unable to bring himself to say her name.  He scowled at his distorted reflection and resisted the urge to smash the plate clutched in his hand.  _Why after five years am I still not over this?_

He completed his task quickly and dropped on the couch, one arm slung over his eyes.  He brooded over old memories that had been re-surfacing since he'd met the dark-haired vixen sleeping in his bed.  The pain from these images was unbearable, dredging up scenes forcibly forgotten.  _Just when I'd thought I could move on with my life and put aside any past regrets, her face shows up to haunt me._  _Maybe it's a sign,_ he thought bitterly.  _Some wounds will never heal._  These thoughts followed him into oblivion as exhaustion finally claimed him.


	5. Black Shadows Emerge

Author's Notes: okay! I am not dead! Honest! Though that doesn't leave me with much of an excuse as to why the heck this chapter took me so bloody long . I apologize a thousand fold to anyone who waited all this time for me to finish this. I had the worst time with the final few paragraphs…but someone sent me an email yesterday about the story, and when I read it today…well, you could say it renewed my motivation to see this thing through! And so, voila! I finally patched up the whole my writer's block left me with and finished this chapter! And now I must get to work on the next . I hope you all enjoy it!  
To my reviewers: Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This would never have gotten done if it weren't for all of you! This story and myself are forever in your debt. Domo arigatou!  
Thoughts, flashbacks, and dreams are in _italics_.

Disclaimer: I own nothing gundam wing related! Get used to it; I did ;)

Chapter Five: Black Shadows Emerge

_"Why can't you do this for me?"_

_Cobalt blue eyes regarded the girl dispassionately. "No. I won't change for anyone. Not even you."_

"_I didn't ask you to change. I only asked you to take things a little more seriously. This isn't a game, Duo!" Her face was flushed in frustration as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest._

_He stared at her, unblinking. "I am being serious, and the answer is still no."_

_She glared at him fiercely and he imagined he could see the steam rising from her ears. He resisted the urge to laugh and kept his face blank._

"_Fine." She moved to the closet and grabbed her coat. "Then I'll just leave."_

_He crossed the room quickly and reached the door before she could grab her jacket. "Don't bother, I'll save you the trouble." He pulled open the door and slammed it shut, abruptly cutting off her protests._

Duo awoke with a start, blinking rapidly as the disorientation of the dream slowly wore off. He shook his head, chasing away the final cobwebs of sleep. He stared at the far wall as the dream replayed over and over again in his mind. He hadn't thought about that day or the ones that had followed for quite some time.

"It was so vivid," he mumbled dropping his head into his hands. He could clearly remember the look of shock on her face just before he slammed the door. If he had of known that would be the last time he'd ever see her, he might've done things differently. He realized now that what he'd said and how he'd acted had been completely immature. But he hadn't really thought that she'd actually just leave him. That in the following years she wouldn't even _try_ to contact him. Sure he'd tried to find her once, but the search had turned up nothing. Considering the resources at his disposal, that said something about her efforts to remain hidden. Because that's what she was doing: hiding. Some part of him knew she wasn't dead. So if she was putting that much effort into remaining anonymous, he wouldn't try looking for her. He owed her that much.

Duo dragged himself to his feet and stretched his stiff muscles. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, glancing at the clock. "Nine-thirty," he muttered. "Time for sleeping Yumi to arise." He smirked as he climbed the stairs and opened the door quietly.

She lay sprawled on her back. The sheets were tangled in around her knees and her tank top had risen to expose the flat expanse of her stomach. Her sleep was anything but restful, he noted, as he watched her toss and turn. He rushed to her side and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly. "Yumi, wake up." Duo frowned as he received no response besides her low moaning and mumbling. _Another nightmare,_ he thought grimly.

"Why…why…" She shook her head from side to side, struggling in his grasp.

Duo watched her with growing concern as she refused to wake up. "Yumi—"

"No…never…never! I'll never help you hurt him! No…" The last word was said as a plea that wrenched Duo's heart.

He gripped her shoulders tightly and shook her again. "Yumi! Please!"

Her eyes snapped open, and she stared at him for a moment. Her next movement was so fast, Duo almost didn't see it. In a second she had freed herself from his grasp and had reached under her pillow to pull out a small revolver. She pressed it to his forehead and watched him with unseeing eyes.

Duo quickly concealed his shock and controlled his instincts. Raising his hands in front of himself slowly, he studied her face and body language. Her body was taut, yet the muscles in her arms shook slightly and her face was flushed but expressionless. However, it was her glazed over blue eyes that worried him the most. "Yumi, it's me, Duo. You can put the gun down. I'm not going to hurt you."

"No. I won't help you…"

_Damnit, she's still stuck in that forsaken dream._ "It was only a nightmare. You have to wake up now. Try to remember, Yumi."

Her brow creased in confusion. "Don't call me that," she whispered, blinking a few times. "That's not my name…my name is…is…"

The gun wobbled in her trembling hands and Duo took the opportunity to snatch it from her. Tossing it to the floor, he turned back to her.

The young woman had collapsed in on herself. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest and rocked back and forth. The hot tears rolled down her cheeks silently from wide blank eyes. "I don't know who I am…I don't…" she mumbled.

Duo watched her hesitantly, wavering between letting her be or trying to comfort her. Even though he didn't know if he could help her, Duo couldn't stand to watch her suffer. Scooping her into his arms, Duo deposited her in his lap and tucked her head under his chin. He shifted so that he could lean his back against the wall and cradle her body to his chest. One arm held her securely to him and the other stroked her soft, blue-black hair.

"Duo?" asked the small voice quietly.

"Shhh…" he scolded lightly. "Don't think anymore. Just relax."

She nodded her silent agreement and after a few moments he felt the tension start to leave her muscles. Duo couldn't hide the slow smile that crept upon his lips as her body all but melted within the circle of his arms. He listened intently as her crying eventually became soft hiccups and her tears stopped flowing entirely. He rubbed his cheek against her hair and closed his eyes, reveling in the warmth of her body pressed to his. As he raked his hand through her soft locks, he breathed deeply of her scent. She smelled of something sweet, a fragrance he couldn't quite place, with a hint of vanilla.

"Do you feel better now?" he whispered near her ear.

Not trusting her voice yet, she nodded mutely. She could feel the blush trying to rise in her face as the gravity of the situation finally dawned on her. Without the pain and sorrow to occupy her mind, she finally registered the other emotions that had been there just under the surface. For instance, how safe and content she felt in his arms. _It feels…so good_, she conceded. The young woman had to resist the temptation to bury herself further into his embrace.

Frustrated with the unfamiliar emotions swirling in her head, she pushed aside his arms abruptly and crawled out of his lap. When she looked up and met his eyes, she saw some emotion flicker across his face before it was replaced with a grin. _Was that hurt on his face just now?_ She narrowed her eyes as she studied his goofy grin. _Maybe I just imagined it…_

"I'm going to take a quick shower," Duo said, as he grabbed some clothes before quickly leaving the room.

"Okay, I'll make breakfast then!" she called after him. She padded down the stairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge. After a quick perusal, she grabbed the eggs and bacon. She pulled out the frying pan and turned on the burner, briefly wondering how Duo liked his eggs. She was glad that she had a bit of time to herself so she could gather her thoughts.

_The dream…_ She frowned as she recalled the scene from earlier. This nightmare was different than the others she'd had before. She could remember some of it this time around. They'd been steadily getting more vivid, especially as of late. But this one had been incredibly so; unbelievably even. Her brow furrowed and frown deepened as it replayed before her eyes.

_She glowered at her captors, having given up on her bonds for quite some time. "What the hell do you want?" she spat. But the two guards merely stood there, oblivious to her screaming and demands. Just as she opened her mouth to begin another tirade of obscenities, the door to her cell was thrown open. Anything she'd been about to say died in her throat at the sight of the man looming above her. _

_His grey eyes gleamed down at her with something akin to hate. She watched him cross his arms over his wide chest while his lips curled in a smug grin. "Welcome back."_

_She bit back an angry retort, her eyes narrowing. "Why did you kidnap me?" she demanded through clenched teeth. _

_His grin grew wider. "I suppose it won't hurt to tell you since we're going to wipe your memory anyways." He chuckled to himself. "You're going to help us exact our revenge."_

_Her eyes widened in disbelief. "No…never…" She shook her head slowly. "Never! I'll never help you hurt him!" She glared up at him with renewed fury. _

_The tall man just threw his head back and laughed. When his chuckles finally subsided, he smiled down at her mirthlessly. "You'll do whatever I tell you to, girl." He slapped her across the face, snapping her head to the side. He grinned in satisfaction and turned around. "Erase her memory," he told the guards as he walked from the cell…_

"Who is he…" she murmured, frowning thoughtfully as she returned her attention to the stove. _Who's the guy that Stryker wanted me to hurt…?_

"Who is who?"

She spun around quickly to find Duo leaning casually against the doorframe to the kitchen. "I didn't hear you come down," she told him, flashing a quick smile before turning back to her cooking.

He nodded and wandered over to her left. "Would you like some coffee?" he asked, already retrieving the coffee and filters.

"Please." She stole a quick glance over her shoulder at him. _Does he look…different somehow?_ The woman chewed on her lip as she finished up with the eggs and bacon. "All done." She put the plates on the table and sat down across from him.

"These are pretty good," he conceded, around a mouthful of scrambled egg. "So, tell me. Who were you talking about earlier?"

"Oh…I…I was just thinking about my dream." She kept her eyes lowered, unable to meet his gaze as she felt a blush rising in her cheeks at the thought of what had happened that morning.

"Really? What did you dream about?" He asked the question casually, his mouth still full.

"I think it was about my past," she said quietly, having lost her appetite.

Duo acknowledged her confession with a nod, studying the bit of her face he could see through the raven-coloured hair. "Did you learn anything from it?"

She shook her head slowly. "No, not really." She finally looked up at him, her eyes betraying nothing of what she was feeling. "Nothing I didn't already know."

"What about that dream the night before? Do you remember anything from that one?" Duo didn't dare to breathe as he watched her expression falter into confusion.

"Other dream…" The young woman tilted her head and raked her memory of the previous night. After a few seconds she finally shook her head. "No, I can't remember anything about that one. Why? Did I say anything in my sleep?"

Duo hesitated. _What am I supposed to say? "Yeah, in fact, you called me a jerk. I just wanted to make sure you didn't hate me"?_ Duo gritted his teeth and pushed that thought to the back of his mind for the moment and decided on a different question that had been bothering him. "Do you think it might have been about your past too?"

She shrugged her slender shoulders. "I couldn't say for sure, but it's entirely possible. I've been having a lot of dreams about my past recently."

That thought gave him reason to pause. If the dream _was_ from her past, then that meant he must have met her before…unless she knew someone else by the name Duo. He looked back up at her and watched her poke the eggs with her fork. _But I'd definitely remember her if I'd met her before…wouldn't I?_

"I…I'm really sorry…"

Duo looked up quickly. "Sorry, about what?"

"About last night," she murmured, not meeting his eyes.

Duo chuckled, giving her a wry smile. "You remember?" She just nodded in response. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You're a great kisser." He winked at her.

She scrunched up a napkin and threw it at him, trying not to smile at his teasing. At least he wasn't angry with her about it. Not that she regretted it or anything even close…she was just worried she'd gone too far. She bit her lip, trying not to think about the things she'd had in mind last night while she was perched on his lap. She cleared her throat and looked up at him, knowing her cheeks were probably redder than ever.

"You okay?" he asked, clearing the table of the remnants of their breakfast.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled at him, twisting a lock of her short hair behind her ear. "What are you doing today?"

"Don't you mean what are _we_ doing today?" he replied, grinning as she came up beside him to help clean the dishes. "I thought we could go for a spin. I'm sure you're going stir-crazy being cooped up in here."

She smiled, poking him playfully in the ribs with her elbow. "Am not, but the thought does hold a certain appeal. I'll go take a shower and get dressed then."

He just nodded and watched her walk out of sight.

An hour later she found herself flying along a deserted highway in his jet black Mustang GT. _Damn do I love fast cars._ She closed her eyes and grinned as she relished the feeling of the wind in her face and hair. "Kinda makes me miss my bike."

Duo looked over at her in slight surprise. "You had a motorcycle?"

The raven haired woman opened her eyes and looked over at him with a wry smile. "Yeah. Is that so hard to believe?"

"No…not at all. You just caught me off guard." Duo flashed her a smile of his own. "I'd love to see you ride it sometime."

She smirked, placing her hand on his knee. "Oh, would you now?" She cocked her head to the side and slid her hand higher up his leg.

Duo shifted slightly under her touch, trying not to let himself be distracted. "Of course. I'm sure you're _very_ talented."

She grinned at the implication and squeezed his leg lightly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"And if I would?" he asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Then, I'd have to say you're out of luck. I sold my bike before I came here to L2." She gave his leg another friendly squeeze and pulled her hand away.

Duo caught her hand and brought it up to his lips. "What if I bought you a new bike?"

The woman looked over at him in surprise. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because, it would make you smile," he said, kissing her palm before relinquishing her hand.

She tore her gaze away from his and stared out the window, a little speechless. _Is it that important to him?_ She bit her lip, and rubbed her fingers over the spot he had kissed. _Is it that important to me?_ _One little kiss and he sends my mind reeling. What the hell is wrong with me?_

_I believe they call it "love". You might want to try it sometime._

She scowled at the sarcastic little voice in her head, swearing silently. _I can't be in love with a guy I've only known for two days!_

"Yumi? Are you okay?"

She looked over at him and flashed him a quick smile. "I'm fine."

Duo gave her a questioning look. "Are you sure – "

He was cut off by a sudden insistent beeping. Duo's expression immediately turned grave, and without a word of notice, he had pulled a U-turn and they were headed back to his place.

"Duo! What's going on? Why are we going back?" He remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. She bit her lip. "Duo!" She had to repeat his name a few times before he would even look at her.

"The alarm at the house," he muttered under his breath. "Someone's tripped it."

Duo made record time, pulling into his driveway less than fifteen minutes after the alarm had gone off. He turned off the car and jumped out, racing to the front door and throwing it open. The woman raced in after him, weapon outstretched in front of her and eyes alert.

Duo shook his head and waved his hand at her. "Put it away. They're gone. They must've left when they heard the alarm."

She looked around the room, hesitantly lowering the small firearm. "What makes you so sure?" she asked, her voice hushed.

Duo glanced at her, flashing her a wry grin. "Trust me, will you?"

Frowning, she watched him make a quick circuit of the lower floor. "Anything missing?" she asked as he walked up the stairs.

"I don't think they were here long enough," he muttered as he surveyed the second floor.

She let her eyes roam over the room and found her gaze drifting to her duffle bag. _Did I leave it like that?_ The bag was open and a few items appeared to have fallen out onto the floor. She knelt down and sifted through the contents of her bag, trying to ignore the tightness she was starting to feel in her chest. She shuffled quickly through some CDs and disks, her brow furrowed.

"What is it?"

The woman frowned, sitting back on her heels. "It. looks like something's missing from my bag…" she mumbled.

"Something…?" he asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Yeah. One of my disks." She bit her lip as she continued to rummage through the bag.

"Well, what was on it?" He walked around the bag and sat opposite her, trying to meet her gaze.

"Stuff…" she replied, keeping her eyes adverted.

Duo narrowed his eyes and caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. "What kind of 'stuff'?"

The dark-haired woman pulled away from him and stood up. "Stuff…about my past; what I could remember of it. The different names I've used in the colonies. There was some intelligence that I'd managed to gather on them. And…" she trailed off, turning her back on him.

"And what, Yumi?" Duo resisted the urge to grab her shoulders and shake the answer out of her.

"And all of the files I'd managed to make a copy of the day I ran away from the compound. The files that would've helped me prove their existence to the world. Then there was the information they had on me…" The woman put her hands over her face.

"You didn't make a copy of it, did you?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement. When she silently shook her head, Duo's suspicions were confirmed. All her evidence against them was gone.

After a few moments of deliberation, he made his decision. Walking up the stairs, he called down to her, "Get your stuff together, we're leaving."

She whirled around, looking up after him. "What? Leaving? Why?"

"It isn't safe here anymore. We're taking the first shuttle out of here."

"Where are we going exactly?" she asked, running up the stairs after him.

He turned around and gave her one of his mischievous grins. "A place neither of us has gone for a very long time."


	6. Unbeknownst

**Living The Lie**

Author's Notes: First and foremost, thanks to the reviewers! Don't know if I'd still be doing this if it weren't for all of you :) Secondly, I'd like to apologize to all of you for taking so long with this (again). I've been rethinking the story and trying to decide whether or not I still want it to go in the direction that I'd originally intended it to go in.

After rethinking it, I did take down the chapter (and yes I'm two days late with reposting, I know ;). I changed the name but I also rewrote a fairly big chunk of it. I'd like to think that it makes some more sense now, but I won't presume such things as it normally gets me into trouble. If you have any suggestions feel free to email me. My email is up on my profile.

Kitty425 asked:

I am curious, tho, as to why Duo can't recognize her? Was his mind altered too?

In regards to your question, no, Duo's mind has not been altered in any way. And it's not so much that "Yumi's" mind has been altered, but that her memory has been altered. He can't recognize her because of her appearance. The organization (which I will be renaming to something better suited as soon as I think of something lol not that their name was that important to begin with), performed plastic surgery on her after her capture and memory was altered. I did mention it in an earlier chapter (two or three I think) that the only thing that remains unchanged about her appearance is her eyes. That's why Duo can't understand why her eyes haunt him so.

------------------------

**Chapter Six: Unbeknowst**

General Stryker stood up abruptly and slammed his fist down on his desk. "They _what_?"

The soldier swallowed thickly and tried not to flinch. "They have left L2," he repeated. "They obtained false passports and documentation. We are currently trying to determine which flight they left on. We hope to have their location within twenty-four hours."

Stryker scowled at the young soldier. "I want their location within the next twelve. If we don't find them son, the trail will go cold. Maxwell has the resources to make them disappear." Stryker paused to glower at the soldier. "That cannot happen."

"Y-yes, sir."

"Now, tell me about the information on this disk."

The young man glanced at the CD in Stryker's hand. "The disk contains information taken from this facility by the target, as well as a record of her travels and aliases. We believe that it is the only copy she had."

"We have no way of confirming that, but if it were true, that would make her all the more desperate and vulnerable."

"Sir, when we locate the target, what are your orders?"

Stryker fell silent as he considered the possible options. Meeting Maxwell was an unexpected twist that they hadn't counted on. The chances of her regaining her suppressed memories under the current circumstances were high. But suddenly, Stryker wondered if that was as terrible a possibility as he had first suspected. _If she remembers everything…that would open another window of opportunity._ Stryker's mouth curved in a malicious smile that turned the young soldier's blood cold.

"When you find them, set up surveillance. I will prepare a team that will observe them at a closer range." Stryker paced behind his desk as his mind formulated a plan around this new idea. "They cannot know that we are observing them. They will be allowed their freedom for as long as necessary. The target must be given time for her suppressed memories to resurface."

Stryker noticed the look of confusion on the soldier's face and grinned to himself at the brilliance of it all. "That will be all for now. I will be alerted at once when their location is known. Dismissed."

------------------

"How beautiful," the raven-haired woman murmured to herself. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, tilting her head back.

"I take it you approve of my choice of location."

The woman smiled, keeping her eyes closed. "Maybe."

"At least it's not a 'no'," Duo remarked, leaning against the railing of the balcony beside her.

She laughed, and looked over at him. "It's beautiful." She gestured to the bay before them filled with sailboats gliding by lazily. "And the mountains," she whispered, turning around and gazing at the stark peaks beyond the roof of the building.

"I'm glad you like it." He grinned as he watched her take in their surroundings.

"I won't even ask how you managed to get an apartment on the south coast of France."

"It's on loan from a friend of mine."

"Nice friend."

"Yeah, I owe him one."

"I'll say. This place is amazing. I didn't think places like this still existed." She let her eyes roam over the surrounding town. "So untouched by war and strife. It's like a whole different world." She looked over at Duo, only to find him staring at her. She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's impolite to stare?" she called over her shoulder.

"Nope, guess I missed that lesson," he replied, following her inside.

"You should try listening more often then."

Duo feigned hurt and gave her a pained look. "I always listen to you."

She laughed and shook her head. "You hardly know me."

The young man looked at her solemnly. "It doesn't feel that way."

She stopped and turned to face him. "What?" She felt her pulse quicken as he continued to stare at her silently. Duo walked towards her slowly and she backed up on instinct. "Umm…Duo?" she asked quietly. She bit back her panic as she felt her back press up against the wall.

Duo put his hands on the wall just above her shoulders and stared at her intently. "Yumi…there's a few things I think we should talk about before anything else happens."

She felt her breath catch in her throat as he leant in closer. "What kind of things?"

"I think it's time to come clean. After all we've been through, you still won't open up to me. You've thrown up this indestructible wall, and no matter what I say or do, you won't lower that guard one bit. Why? Do you still not trust me?"

The raven-haired woman gaped at him, her eyes going wide. "Duo, I-I…" She could feel her chest constrict as she started to panic. His eyes bored into hers as she just stared at him mutely. _What do I say? I do trust him…I think…it's just…I can't right now. Just a little more time_.

"Well? The fish out of water look, doesn't suit you at all, by the way." He smirked.

She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and glared at him balefully. "I'll tell you when I'm good and ready to tell you, thank you very much." She pushed him off of her and stomped away angrily.

Duo grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her backward, locking his arms around her waist. "I don't think so. That's not going to work this time around. Your time is up."

She shook her head and tried to pull his arms off. "Stop it, Duo!"

He pulled her closer and held her tightly. "No. Not until I hear the truth. There's a reason you're still not being open with me, and I want to know what it is."

_I can't do this right now!_ She thought desperately. _I'm not ready for this. I'm still…_The woman stopped squirming and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm scared, alright! Is that a crime? I'm terrified of making another huge mistake and spending the rest of my miserable life paying for it! You can see what they did to me. They stole everything from me! Everything! If that were to happen again, I don't think I'd be able to recover…" She felt his grip slacken and she took the opportunity to wrench out of his grasp. "There, happy now?" she demanded, turning to face him.

Duo just stared at her solemnly, and didn't say a word.

"Well? Don't you have anything to say?" She crossed her arms and tried to fight the telltale prickling feeling behind her eyes. _I can't cry,_ she thought angrily. _I can't show my weakness…I need to divert his focus to something else_. Taking a deep breath, she glared up at him defiantly. "And what about you, huh, Mr. Mysterious."

Duo frowned. "Mr. Mysterious? What're you talking about?"

"You're always sulking or frowning every time I turn around. You look at me, all I feel is…disappointment." She frowned, searching for the right words. "As if…as if you wished I were someone else…"

Duo sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. "It's not like that, Yumi. It isn't." He took a deep breath, and looked at her squarely. "It's just… you're a lot like someone that I used to know…and…"

"Used to know…?" She repeated when he didn't continue. However, the words sent a shiver down her back, bringing back the feeling of déjà vu she had felt while in his office.

"Yeah…a woman that I knew a long time ago. We were close and it ended badly." He sighed, his eyes clouded with pain. "You're like her in a lot of ways, and being around you…brings back a lot of memories. Memories I'd thought long forgotten." Duo paused, looking at the ground darkly. "Every time I look at you, I can't help but be reminded of her. I guess…I guess I'm not as past the experience as I thought I was. It's still a little painful." He smiled down at her grimly.

The raven-haired woman swallowed thickly. For some reason what he said weighed heavily on her heart. A horrible feeling of guilt choked her_. All the times he'd smiled at me, had it been just to hide the pain? Why didn't he just tell me? I would never have wanted to put him through all this… _

Blinking back tears, the woman smiled up at him sadly. "I…umm…" She cleared her throat and licked her dry lips. "I'm just going to get some air." She was already grabbing her purse and heading to the door before he could react. "I'll be back later." She managed a quavering smile and left, ignoring his protests behind her.

Duo blinked a few times at the closed door in confusion. "Was it something I said?" he wondered aloud. He sighed in frustration, cursing the complexity of women. "Goddamnit! Why can't they just say what's pissing them off!" Duo growled at the empty room. He grabbed his keys, cursing under his breath as he left to follow her. "I'll never understand women," he grumbled.

---------------------------

The young woman sighed, hugging herself as she walked aimlessly through the streets. She wiped the errant tears from her eyes and put on her sunglasses. She shoved her hands in her pockets and glared at no one in particular. _Just when I think I've found someone to trust and care about again, it all blows up in my face. If being with me made him miserable, why didn't he just say something? Why lead me on like that…? _She sighed again, feeling the guilt coming back to constrict around her heart. She knew a little guilt was in order, but the guilt she felt was inexplicably excruciating. She couldn't understand where the feeling was coming from. _I don't think I was that horrible to him. What's with the crushing guilt?_ She shook her head in frustration. _I can't even make sense of my own emotions,_ she thought bitterly, _how do I expect to understand anyone else's?_ She stopped and looked up for the first time since leaving the apartment. Turning around, she quickly realized that she was lost. "This can't be happening," she groaned. She cursed under her breath and looked for a familiar landmark. The young woman had hardly walked a few steps when her progress was halted by the feeling of a gun pressed to the small of her back.

"If you intend to live beyond today, I would advise you to do everything I tell you to do," whispered the voice in her ear.

The woman gritted her teeth and then nodded to show her compliance. She followed the instructions given to her and found herself in a deserted catacomb under an older part of the city. She knew if she screamed there was a chance someone might hear her, but she didn't think her captor would hesitate to kill her. Dying wasn't exactly on the top of her list of things to do.

"Turn around and put your hands above your head."

She held her chin up defiantly and turned around. As she lifted her eyes to meet those of her captor, she faltered. "Dax?" she asked, her voice quavering.

"Long time no see, Dee," Dax grinned.

"W-what are you doing?" she demanded. Hearing her old nickname had thrown her for a loop.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He gestured with his free hand. "I'm turning you in and cashing in."

His all too familiar grin was not what she remembered. Speechless, she just stared at him.

"Oh, come on, Dee. Don't gimme that face. Do you know how much you're worth to Stryker?"

She swallowed past the rising bile in her throat and glared at him. "More than anything I ever meant to you, obviously."

"Oh, gimme a break, Dee. It's been what, three years? Don't get me wrong, we had fun." He flashed her a feral grin. "But three years is a long time. I'll give you this much though, you were a real good time. Maxwell's a lucky guy." He winked at her and laughed.

She could feel her face flush in anger and her eyes narrow dangerously. "You were lousy. I just never had the heart to tell you."

Dax lost his grin and slapped her across the face. "I was gonna be nice, Dee, but now you've pushed me too far." He hit her on the side of the head with the gun, leaving a cut above her temple.

She grinned up at him, ignoring the pulsing pain. "Aww, what a loss. I'm quaking in my boots."

"Why you goddamn little bitch—" Dax stopped in mid swing as he heard something echo down the corridor. He hesitated, weighing his options.

One moment of hesitation was all the young woman needed. She swung her arm down hard and hit Dax on the wrist. Once he dropped the gun, she brought up her other hand, and used her palm to stun him, breaking his nose. Before he could gather his bearing, she grabbed his shoulders and brought her knee up hard to meet his groin. Shoving him to the floor, she lunged for the gun and held it out in front of her as she stood over him.

"Asshole," she growled. "I can't believe I ever liked you." She kicked him in the gut, and watched him writhe on the floor in pain. "When you see that bastard Stryker," she said, cocking the gun and taking aim. "Send him my love."

The bullet exploded in Dax's thigh. She watched him howl in pain disapprovingly. "Now, now, I can't have you making too much noise. Maybe I should just finish the job, hm?" He glared at her as best he could while still grimacing in pain. "Now, Dax, don't give me that look," she said mockingly. "Be grateful I didn't aim higher," she told him as she kept the gun trained on him.

A stone skittered across the ground behind her and she whirled around, her heart racing. She should've felt relief as the person now in front of her came into focus, but all she felt was another stab of pain in her heart. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Saving you, but you seem to have done pretty well yourself." Duo eyed the gun being pointed at him wearily. "You don't have to be so happy to see me," he muttered.

The raven-haired woman narrowed her eyes and then sighed. "I can handle my own, you know. I don't need a babysitter." She turned her back to him. "Don't you trust me?"

Duo smirked at her. "Of course I trust you." He glanced at the wounded man. "It's jerks like him that I don't trust."

She bit back her grin as she felt herself relaxing already. "Him, nah, he's about as dangerous as a kitten." She turned back to Duo and waved nonchalantly. "I could take him with my eyes closed."

Duo smiled and reached out for her. But before he could reach her, he noticed movement behind her. He opened his mouth to warn her, but he was already too late. Duo watched helplessly as the injured soldier put one arm around her chest, pining her arms, while the other held a dagger pressed against her throat.

"Sorry to interrupt your fun, but really, Dee, with your eyes closed? I don't think so." Dax grinned and tightened his hold on her. "You know, Dee, that wasn't very nice of you. Now I'll have to repay the favor."

"Drop the gun, Dee."

She scowled. "I knew I shouldn't have been so charitable. I should've killed you when I had the chance." She looked Duo in the eye, trying to silently communicate her plan. She shifted the gun to her left hand slowly.

"Regrets, Dee. It's far too late for all that now." Dax put a little more pressure on the dagger. "Drop the gun, Dee. I'm sure your little friend over here doesn't want to see me slit your throat."

Duo watched her shift the gun and understood immediately what she intended to do. _If she's not careful, he'll slit her throat. Damnit woman!_ Duo took a step towards them and held out his hands. "Come on, babe, put down the gun."

Duo saw Dax shift his eyes warily to Duo's outstretched hands. _Good_, he thought to himself. _His attention's on me. Now to keep it that way._

"Just put it down, Yumi. You know if you don't do it, you won't have a chance to kill the bastard later." Duo grinned as Dax glared at him.

"What the hell are you talk—" Dax started, but a loud _crack_ interrupted him as the butt of the gun connected with the gunshot wound in his leg. He howled in pain and released her.

Duo quickly stepped forward and grabbed the hand that held the dagger. He twisted Dax's wrist hard, causing the knife to fall from his nerveless fingers.

The raven-haired woman twisted out of his grasp, still clutching the gun. She watched as Duo slugged Dax across the face, knocking him to the ground, unconscious. She extended the gun, aiming it at his head, but before she could pull the trigger, Duo laid his hand over hers and shook his head.

"Don't do it," he said, looking her in the eye.

"Why the hell not?" she growled in frustration. "He was going to kill me!"

"What will killing him prove?" Duo pulled the gun from her, putting it in his pocket. "You've already won. It's over."

"No!" she shouted "It'll never be over! They'll never stop!"

"Then we'll have to find the source of the problem and put a stop to it," Duo smiled. "Come on, let's get outta here."

The young woman shook her head. "I'm sick of it. I'm done with being hunted and chased." She looked up at him gravely. "I won't run anymore."

Duo smiled at her and slipped his hand in hers. "That's the spirit! We'll kick their asses!"

She couldn't help but smile as he led her out of the catacomb. "You're crazy, you know that."

"About you," he said with a wink.

"Sure, sure," she replied, rolling her eyes. She allowed him to lead the way, not looking back once. 


End file.
